Convulse - World Without God (Relapse, 2010) (Re-issue, 1992)

I thought I had a decent grasp on the year 1992, at least from a metal perspective. Relapse will prove me wrong in January when they re-issue World Without God, a classic pile of death metal from Finland's Convulse. I've never heard of Convulse, but after listening to this thing, there's no doubt it needs to be a part of my CD collection.

WWG is a fascinating album. It's no missing link in the history of death metal, but it is an interesting sign of its times. The album combines recognizable and iconic genre methodologies in a fairly unique way. Convulse are disconnected from the Swedish death metal movement in sound but not in spirit. Despite being contiguous to Sweden, Finland's imprint on the history of death metal would come much later, mostly in the form of folk influences and the wild noodling of Alexi Laiho.

“Introduction” kicks off the album with keys and synths that mix foreboding with cheese. This frightening bit of melody has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the album, thankfully. The title track introduces us to the genetic mutant we're about to encounter. The first thing to notice is the lack of Sunlight sound. The lumbering and downtuned riff that starts things off bears resemblance to Blessed Are the Sick era Morbid Angel more than anything else. This same riff, however, gets the speed treatment with an unmuted, open handed strumming that instantly brings to mind Left Hand Path. Later on, things slow down and we get a slimy, doomier riff that makes me think of early My Dying Bride. Sound interesting yet? It gets better. At the end of the song, the thing slides into a fantastic stuttering beat and rips into a riff that sounds straight out of Carcass' Necroticism.

One of the most impressive aspects of the album is the production. To my ears, it surpasses the clarity that Morbid Angel and Entombed had at that time. The re-mastering job on the album is pretty decent, and it doesn't push things too far. The distortion on the guitars sounds surprisingly modern. The riffs on WWG aren't terribly complicated or diverse, but they get the job done and are quite entertaining. My favorite parts are the doomier interludes and the grindier bits. As the album progresses, we hear more and more of the Carcass influence.

The vocals are quite guttural. They sound like a deeper take on David Vincent's vocal style. The lyrics, for the most part, are a righteous screed against organized religion. I can dig that. Two of the tracks, however, deal with gorier topics. “Putrid Intercourse” is an absurd story about some graveyard lovin', and “Incantation of Restoration” follows suit.

The drums sound great and even brilliant at times. There are several ball-busting bass lines that propel the songs à la “Ruptured in Purulence.” As would be expected, there are also several classical guitar interludes to remind you that these guys know their way around a fretboard. “Powerstruggle of Belief” starts out with just such a composition before whipping up a metal storm.

Seeing how this is a re-issue, we also get the Resuscitation of Evilness demo tacked on the end of the album. These early versions of the songs don't really add much to the experience. They do, however, show that Convulse had hatched their death metal sound as early as 1990. The cover of Venom's “Countess Bathory” is a sloppy but entertaining mess, with production much worse than the rest of the demo. The live version of “Incantation of Restoration” sounds like a gore-soaked remnant of Reek of Putrefaction.

Look, I've got to be honest; WWG never achieves the iconic nature of the classic albums I've thus-far mentioned. But it's pretty goddamned good. If you're stoked about the resurgence of OSDM, you should check out this worthy example of some actual old-school death metal. It's the real deal.


86/100


Convulse Myspace

Full disclosure: Relapse provided me with a promo stream.

Revocation – Existence is Futile (Relapse, 2009)

I'm a frequent victim of hype fatigue, and Existence is Futile is certainly one of the most over-hyped albums of 2009. In an astronomically good year for metal, I definitely didn't give this album a fair shake when it first passed my ears.

I was a big fan of Revocation's self-released debut, Empire of the Obscene. That album was an exercise in riffage thrown at the wall; all manner of styles were represented and they all stuck. The riffs and solos on Empire of the Obscene were absurdly awesome, but the album lacked a cohesive sound and didn't display particularly consistent songwriting.

Revocation have achieved cohesion on Existence is Futile. Their sound is a unique blend of groovy thrash, technical and melodic death metal with solos that recall the greatest glory of the 80s. It's almost as if a band like Warbringer spawned alien children with The Fucking Champs.

Songs like “Pestilence Reigns” exhibit Revocation's blueprint. A handful of complex riffs drive the first part of the song. First, semi-melodic chordage slides up and down the guitar neck. Then we get a hammered-on fountain of notes that occasionally kicks into ludicrous speed. Scrumptious grooves sprout up in the transitions between riffs. Then, two and a half minutes in, we get a fascinating melodic riff that mutates into a minute-long solo. The lead is so incredible it overshadows the rest of the song, which kicked a good deal of ass on its own.

At this point, I think we can acknowledge that David Davidson is a guitar deity. Along with Michael Keene of The Faceless, he is the preeminent shredder of this young generation. I'll entertain the frequent Dimebag comparisons, but Mr. Davidson has much to learn as a songwriter. My only gripe with EiF is that the solos completely surpass the riffage at times. These are some transcendent, meaningful and mind-imploding solos. They sometimes make the rest of a song sound pedestrian. Dimebag was a legend because he could write a song where the riffs matched the solos in godliness.

My favorite parts of EiF are the melodic breaks. Hints of The Fucking Champs seep through in these sections and add a levity to the tunes that makes me smile. “Across Forests and Fjords” is four minutes of thrashing instrumental hyperbole that wouldn't be out of place on the legendary IV. See, Revocation aren't only about grim metallic mayhem. There's a sense that these guys love what they're doing, and their joyous enthusiasm is infectious.

EiF is beautifully produced, with an excellent mid-range punch. Phil Dubois' drumming is fantastic, and Anthony Buda's bass gets the proper representation for a three-piece band. In addition to being an axe-master, Mr. Davidson also performs the vocals. Close in spirit and character to Warbringer's John Kevill, the vocals fit well with the music. There is a nice hint of uncontrolled madness to Mr. Davidson's scream/yell.

The key to my enjoyment of this album is just to stop thinking about it. Let the thing move. Let the absurdly dexterous technicality bowl me over and go with the flow. If you want to hear some righteous shredding, this is the place. At the very least, EiF holds my attention throughout. I'm betting Revocation have yet to write their masterpiece. EiF is worth your metal money in 2009, but let's hope even better is in store from these guys.

I'm looking forward to seeing Revocation along with Hypno5e and The Binary code on the “Metal as Art” tour next month.

85/100

Revocation Myspace

Here's the video for "Dismantle the Dictator:"


Full disclosure: Relapse provided me with a promo stream.

My Year In Metal, 2009 - Favorite Concerts

7. Pelican, Black Cobra, Disappearer - November 30th - The Highline Ballroom, NYC
I wasn't expecting much and as usual I was blown away by a Pelican live show. What We All Come To Need ruled in person. My brother Frank and I enjoyed much alcohol and let Pelican string us up from the sky.

6. Gojira, Burst - September 21st - The Music Hall of Williamsburgh, Brooklyn
Seeing Gojira headline for the second time in a year was a treat, but Burst were the real attraction. My brother, Rich, Jeanne Fury and I enjoyed tales of flying whales with a raging crowd. Burst flattened the audience and were super nice dudes. I totally held vertigo.

5. Down, Melvins - September 11th - Nokia Theater, NYC
Jeanne Fury gave me the opportunity to get close and personal with Phil Anselmo from the photo pit, and the show ended up being incredible. The Melvins were awesomeness. It turned out to be an excellent evening.

4. Mastodon, Kylesa and Intronaut – May 9th - Irving Plaza, NYC
Crack the Skye was still fresh as dew, and a veritable pantheon of metal friends made it to the show. My wife, Elizabeth, Dave, Jeanne Fury, and my brother, Rich all came along to ride the tides of blood. It was a tremendous performance.

3. Baroness – November 20th – The Bowery Ballroom, NYC
It's bound to be an excellent night when they're playing songs from your favorite album of the year, right? Baroness ruled, hard. Jeanne Fury and I enjoyed the stained horizon, ablaze with revolvers. Stampedes? Hells yes. Reel in place, 'til the bastards take me away.

2. Gojira - May 6th - The Blender Theater, NYC
The first Gojira show of the year was the best. Tracks from The Way of All Flesh were still new to our ears, and everything was a superlative slaughter. Both my brothers and one sister-in-law made it out to the show, and the beer was excellent. Rich lost clothes and put on a pit clinic. Good times.

1. Skeletonwitch, Black Anvil – November 14th – Union Pool, Brooklyn
This was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Short and sweet, brutal and drunk. Jeanne Fury and I raged until there was no rage left.

My Year In Metal, 2009 - 20 Favorite Albums

[Every time I tried to lay this out, my cats would destroy it in seconds.]

Plain and simple, these are the albums I enjoyed most this year:

20. 3 Inches of Blood - Here Waits Thy Doom (Century Media)
Here Waits Thy Doom is metal in its purest form. This thing is as old school as it gets. Driven by excellent songwriting and pre-historic riffage, I'm thoroughly enjoying the album. The vocals are awesome, and the songs are hilariously infectious. "Will you be there to rock in hell?"


19. Converge - Axe To Fall (Epitaph)
I've honestly never been able to get into Converge. As much as they rage, some element of their dissonance has always turned me off. With all the critical acclaim surrounding Axe To Fall, I gave it a try and found it quite enjoyable. Axe To Fall rolls along with absurdly diverse riffing and rampaging rhythms. It's unstoppable and unforgiving. I can dig this.


18. Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade (Southern Lord)
Sure, it doesn't live up to the glory of Two Hunters, but Black Cascade is still an excellent album. Trance-like rhythms accompany melodic black metal movements to create visions of grim Cascadian mountainscapes. I frequently use Black Cascade's monumental wall of blackness to block out background noise.


17. Kylesa - Static Tensions (Prosthetic)
Static Tensions provides a listening experience like no other. Duelling drummers attack your ears in stereo while the band rages with psychedelic sludge mayhem. Did I mention the dueling vocals? Thankfully, this isn't just a novelty - awesome riffage and songwriting combine to create a complete listening experience.


16. Be'lakor - Stone's Reach (Prime Cuts Music)
Stone's Reach is pure, raging melodic death metal. It's definitely my favorite album in that genre for the year. It's a festival of riffage, memorable songs and shifting rhythms that require mandatory headbanging. If you dig the melodic death metal, you should be rocking to Be'lakor.


15. Gorod - Process of a New Decline (Willowtip)
This was my favorite tech-death album of the year. Process of a New Decline is pure awesome. To me, it was the best combination of technicality, riffage, innovation, melody, soul and songwriting. The demented hammer-on madness is perfect for one man circle pits. Disavow Your God!


14. Deafest - Eroding Peaks (Ninth Meridian Records)
This mountain of instrumental black metal blew me away. Although self produced with the rawest of sound, the bombastic post-rock movements and excellent sense of melody have put this album in constant rotation for me since it came out. Eroding Peaks works with any mood I might be in – it's just gorgeous stuff.

13. Fen - The Malediction Fields (Code666/Aural Music)
I totally dig Fen's wide open, progged out vision of black metal. The Malediction Fields is filled with the sound of vast spaces and raging blackened storms. The clean guitars and vocals set it apart as truly unique. The lyrics are as bleak and beautiful as the music. Great album.


12. Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough (Profound Lore)
This one snuck up on me at the end. I really liked their debut album, but Dimensional Bleedthrough rules. The warp-speed melodic black metal magic is enthralling and mesmerizing. This album also grew on me quite a bit since it came out. Dimensional Bleedthrough puts me in a thoroughly enjoyable metal trance.

11. Swashbuckle - Back to the Noose (Nuclear Blast)
I don't go for much in the way of folk or pagan metal. Swashbuckle get unfortunately lumped with those bands due to their attire, I suppose. Seriously, this is just dead sexy New Jersey thrash that happens to be about pirates. Sweet-ass riffage and hilarious songwriting make BttN the most fun album of the year for me.

10. Kreator - Hordes of Chaos (Steamhammer/SPV)
I've never been much of a Kreator fan, but this album ripped my fucking head off. The best production on any album this year helped a lot. The righteous Teutonic thrash benefits from superb riffage and memorable songwriting. These dudes sat in a room and recorded the music together as a band. Who would have thought such glorious organic metal madness could result? If you skipped your dose of German thrash this year, take notice; violence is conquering the world.


9. Pelican - What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord)
The Ephemeral EP dulled my expectations, and at first I didn't know what to make of this thing. Alas, this album rules - a slow grower of instrumental glory. A reinvigorated rhythm section and lots of chug make WWACTN excellent driving music. Actually, it's excellent anything music. Yes, I'm still a Pelican fanboy.


8. Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave (Century Media)
This was the most excited I've been for a Napalm Death release since Enemy of the Music Business. The sheen wore off a bit, but the album has remained a staple of my playlist for the near. How these guys continue to churn out the righteous grind is beyond comprehension. Napalm for the win, always. Napalm for strength.


7. Mastodon – Crack the Skye (Reprise)
This was the toughest album for me to place. After lots of listening and seeing the thing performed in its entirety in May, I definitely burned out on Crack the Skye. I think my initial impressions weren't too far off the mark - perhaps only the rating. The vocals are the weak point, but if I get past that, it makes for an enjoyable progged out jam of a listening experience.


6. Black Anvil – Time Insults the Mind (Relapse)
Black Anvil have popped the lid on a blackened, frosty brew that goes down easy like Celtic Frost. Brooklyn's own have infused thrash and whiffs of hardcore into a black cauldron that is boiling with incredible riffage. This album moves like a fucking freight train and makes my head bang every single time I put it on. I seriously love this shit.


5. Cobalt - Gin (Profound Lore)
Gin is a thunderous, filthy slab of crusty American black metal. This is an innovative and ultimately personal album that took me a while to appreciate and comprehend. It's bursting with animalistic emotions, alcohol drowned guitar glory and unhinged, rampaging drumming. "Burn me down, shoot me in the chest."


4. Wormrot - Abuse (Scrotum Jus Records)
Abuse is the best grind album of the year, hands down. Singapore's greatest have ripped open some of the most unbelievable grooves you'll ever hear. Just enough cheek, unbelievable drumming and superlative riffage make Abuse a pure win. Wormrot are redlined at perfection for 22 minutes and 23 tracks. This thing is unbelievable; if you haven't heard it yet, fix your broken mind. Abuse is probably my favorite grind album since Nasum's Helvete. "Here's your fucking abuse of power."


3. Tombs - Winter Hours (Relapse)
My first impressions of this album were off the mark. Winter Hours has become my go-to album in all seasons. The raging black/sludge/core ambiance has become a bottomless pit that will accept any emotion I pour into it. Winter Hours cures anger, sadness, anxiety and most likely, cancer. As original as it is sublime, this album grew on me like my beard. Thank you Mike Hill.


2. Skeletonwitch - Breathing The Fire (Prosthetic)
This album was a revelation to me, striking at the heart of everything I hold dear in metal. Sweet thrashing and often blackened riffage speaks in tongues of NWOBHM glory. Filled with top-notch songwriting, this is one of those absurd albums that gets better and better towards the end. Breathing the Fire fucking moves, and will propel you triumphantly through anything life puts in your way.


1. Baroness - Blue Record (Relapse)
From the first note of fuzzed-out Hendrix-hallucination that is "Bullhead's Psalm," I was hooked. Baroness have written an album for the ages. Blue Record was built to destroy, front to back. A seamless blend of classic rock glory dipped in sludge, I just can't get enough of this thing. Is it really metal? Fuck off, wrong question. John Baizley and Pete Adams rage with righteous triumph on every track, and I sing along every time. From album art perfection to endlessly quotable lyrics, this thing has got it all. I can't remember so instantly falling in love with an album since my formidable years. Blue is triumph. You're my boy, Blue.

[A tabby stampede]

[Django, lord of destruction]


[Aftermath]

[Django, victorious]

Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough (Profound Lore, 2009)

There's nothing simple about this album. Krallice's self-titled debut displayed the same wildly complicated and enthralling brand of black metal, but the music was driven by more easily digestible post-rock melodies. Dimensional Bleedthrough feeds that staccato guitar wizardry through the obfuscation machine. I feel like I could listen to this thing a thousand times and never comprehend all of its nuances. Is it a good album? I personally think so. My suggested point of reference on Krallice is still Weakling. If you dig an esoteric take on black metal with triumphant overtones and a good bit of melody, then you should be all over this.

The tempo of Dimensional Bleedthrough is generally locked in at just short of ludicrous. You can pretty much distinguish each note; this isn't "wall of guitar" black metal. The guitar work of Mick Barr and Colin Marston is just as mind blowing as it was on the self titled album. Sometimes this thing hits plateaus of deliberate drone, but for the most part, it's two guitars doing battle on planes of existence mortal man can't fathom. How do four men sit down and compose this insanity?

Some of the best moments on the album occur when things slide out of overdrive. "untitled" lets the guitars escape from a rhythm section altogether and makes me think of the frozen tundras on Pelican's The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw. "Autocthon" breaks into a galloping thrash with a melody that's simply incredible.

One improvement over their debut is the bass work of Nick McMaster, who joins in the frenzy on tracks like "Monolith of Possession" to add an extra depth to the music. Lev Weinstein's drums are also more varied. "Aridity" has some positively thunderous drum work. At times the rhythm section seems to phase into a pocket universe to create absurd sensations of movement, like looking out the window of a train while facing the wrong direction.

The sparse vocals duties are shared by Mick Barr and Nick McMaster. I really enjoy the whimsically bizarre and frequently poetic lyrics. Neither man sports a particularly original black metal scream, but they're both able to get the job done in a satisfying manner.

Dimensional Bleedthrough is a complicated album that reveals its glory through repeated listens and a certain amount of attention. The melodies are both savory and sweet, giving the album an emotional foothold. Each song is held together by a thematic gravity that prevents these four musicians from flying out of orbit into oblivion. It is a wonder to behold.

87/100

Pelican - November 30th - The Highline Ballroom, NYC

This was my first visit to the Highline Ballroom. As my brother Frank and I approached the building, we were a bit befuddled to find a Western Beef establishment at the listed address. Naturally, the ballroom was upstairs.

When we walked in, the venue was almost completely empty. The fire warden sign listed alternate maximum capacities of 380 and 660 people. Either way, there couldn't have been more than 14 people in the room. It was an interesting space; wider than it was deep. Tables were set up on the left and right as well as in a balcony surrounding the room. Thankfully, enough people filtered in before Disappearer's set to avoid an embarrassing situation.

Disappearer were surprisingly good. Ambient sludgification accompanied excellent vocals from bass player Jebb Riley, who also plays in Doomriders. They are definitely a band worth exploring. The sound was quite good, receiving the approval of my brother, the audio engineer.

Between sets, we perused the merchandise. As always, Trevor de Brauw was manning the Pelican table. The dude is such a nice guy, and he's always willing to shoot the shit with fans. I asked him why he's always stuck selling schwag, and he told us it gets him out of other unsavory tasks during the tour. Works for me. I'm actually glad it didn't occur to me to query him about the infamous Village Voice article - it would have ruined the mood.

I've been hearing good things about Black Cobra. The duo did not disappoint. There was definitely a massive, chugging, High on Fire vibe going on. I'm pretty sure Rafael Martinez put in one of the most impressive drumming performance I've ever seen. He beat the absolute hell out of his kit while maintaining a goliath, pendulous swing the whole time. Drummers just don't know how to fucking swing like that anymore these days. Unbelievable. Sure, Jason Landrian's vocals are the band's weak point, but they make up for it in sheer ferocity. I'll definitely be checking our their Southern Lord debut, Chronomega.

Frank and I were reaching proper beerification by the time Pelican set up. The venue had mercifully filled in, though it was still far from capacity. Without further ado, the band launched into tracks from their new album, What We All Come To Need. They were absolutely crushing. The mix was crystal clear, if not a bit too loud. Trevor was going wild, and Laurent began his usual bizarre chicken headed bobbing routine. Pelican were raging.

A good portion of the set came from WWACTN, which made me very happy. "The Creeper" was downright filthy, and each gorgeous melodic break shot me through the heart. The intro to "Glimmer" sounded like a righteous ode to the open road. These new songs destroy live. I spent most of the show headbanging and thrashing like a maniac. "Ephemeral" still killed live, and surprising tracks like "Specks of Light" were enthralling.

After a few songs, some fine person in the crowd took the opportunity to scream out "fuck the Village Voice!" Now that's what I wanted to hear. A few other people took up the chant, and I added a drunken scream of "fuck them!" for good measure. It felt good, but I dont' think most people had any idea what was going on. Trevor, the only band member with a microphone, responded with something like "thanks, but the Village Voice really do have a lot of good things going for them." I think it was a deflection of sorts; he's too much of nice guy to talk shit.

If I'm not mistaken, City of Echoes was represented only by its title track. It's an excellent song that encapsulates the immediacy of that album for me nicely. "GW" was the sole song from Australasia to be played. It was a lull in the show for me, perhaps the only time when my attention wandered.

Did I mention that the WWACTN tracks sound awesome live? I was extremely impressed. It's definitely worth experiencing in person. The oft maligned drumming of Larry Herweg was good on this evening, never impinging on my consciousness as offensive. On one new song, bass player Bryan Herweg traded instruments with Trevor, which was entertaining. When the set ended without a single track off The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, you knew what to expect for an encore. "Sirius" closed out the evening with the icy sounds of a deep space journey.

This was a righteous and energetic show. There was nothing boring about it. My brother was blown away by his first Pelican performance. This band genuinely moves me - to mosh. No "emotional ambiguity" there. They might do nothing for you, but their live show is a trip to auditory nirvana for me. Talk all you want about "phony triumphalism," but on Monday night, Pelican were triumph.

The Faceless, Dying Fetus - November 28th - The Blender Theater NYC

The marquee on The Blender Theater read "FACELESS SATURDAY." Co-headliners Dying Fetus apparently didn't make the cut; their name must not be safe for the masses on 23rd street. The goof ended up being indicative of the billing iniquity on this night.

I got to the show just in time to see Dying Fetus set up. I've never been a huge fan of the band, but through the years I've come to appreciate the intensity of their live shows. The venue was packed. I was surprised at the turnout. Evidently, Dying Fetus have a lot of fans in New York City.

As would be expected, the crowd was insane for Dying Fetus' set. It was definitely the most energetic pit I've witnessed this year. Bodies were in perpetual motion, and there wasn't much room for the martial arts displays that irk so many people. The hour long performance covered a wide swath of the band's discography. Only "Your Treachery Will Die With You" and "Shepherd's Commandment" represented their new album, Descend into Depravity.

The mix was excellent, and the band sounded tremendous as a three-piece. John Gallagher's guitar tone was massive, and I honestly think the new tracks sounded better than they do on the album. Sean Beasley was a raging mass of hair, and Trey Williams was rhythmic perfection behind the kit. Visibly happy with the crowd reaction, Dying Fetus closed out the set with the requisite "Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)." People were going nuts.

While The Faceless set up, the venue started to clear out. A decent amount of people actually left. It became clear there must be an age gap in the fans of these two bands. The crowd that filled up the floor for The Faceless was a good many years younger than it had been earlier. The Faceless had promised to play their latest album, Planetary Duality, in its entirety during this tour. That is what got me to come out to this show at all.

As the lights went down, The Faceless launched into "Akeldama," which is essentially a progged out tech-death jam. With a brief introduction, the band launched into "Prison Born" and proceeded to work their way through Planetary Duality.

The band have worked on their stage presence a bit. Derek Rydquist was far more animated than the last time I saw him. He has transformed from a unabomber type figure into an all-out vocal maniac.

"The Ancient Covenant" sounded fantastic - the mix was gorgeous. Michael Keene's distinctive guitar wizardry was front and center. His leads display an absurd sense of melody that blows me away.

The crowd had a problem keeping up with the music. The Faceless inhabit a weird dimension between complete death metal brutality and progressive technical wankery. I think they've found pure gold in that balance, bringing fantastic songwriting skills and a bit of soul to the music. The alien time signatures and demented breakdowns are not pit friendly. Kids will run like wild through the pit for a few moments, and then a shift in the music will leave them standing there with befuddled looks on their faces. This happened over and over during the set.

It was great to hear some of the songs that I hadn't seen live. "Planetary Duality I" and "Planetary Duality II" were fucking incredible. Such a great album. It's definitely worth it to get out and see this thing performed in its entirety. Lyle Cooper's drum performance on the last song was enough to send me into headbanging convulsions. I've mentioned this before, but I honestly think Planetary Duality will go down as a death metal classic.

As much as I enjoyed The Faceless, I've got to say that Dying Fetus owned the evening. There's no question; they should have been on top of this bill. The crowd response for their set was berserk, and it made everything else that came after feel just a bit awkward.

During the show I fumbled my camera and turned it into a brick, so no pictures on this night.